Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-01-01
A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE.
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4 California mining town, away M
amid The sEox-cla:l, reck-boand peaks
OF the Sierra Nevads mountains
The town was irreguh1rfv laid ont.
and was scattered along creek wBiela
( emptied i-to the CoBslinrmes River sew
esal miles below. Both the dwellnrs
aud business bOuses-or, more Pr0Peahy
speaking, cabins--were. constructed of
uahevn pine logs, the crevices between
the timsess being s'ehiukedFn ard plas,
tercG With ra,ll. The town contained al
least a dozen saleona. or saloons and
gaaIblir : -h9uSrs combined, and In these
bells much Of the hslrri-..arsis1 money OF
the miner parted company with hiln. to
take up its Temporary abode i'm ahe saloon
till,er the PocRrs Of the professional gam-
bles. The dwellings, Of Tire town were
scattered along the creek OF built on the
side. Of the. mOuntaln, the majority of
them being rough -sbaehel0r- dens. faa
women were very .scarce In the newly
discovered diegings.
In a small cabin in the upper end Of
the town sat a woman in widows weeds
holding upon her knee a bright eseah-
sunBy-fafed little girl aboas 1--WE vVass
old, While a little eherUb Of bow Ray
upon bear-skin before the open fr,e-
place. 1t was Christmas Exc, and the
woman SAT gazing ahstraetedly into the,
fire She was yet young, and as the
glowing flames lit up her sad faee tAes
invested 1t win weird heGcsy-
Mary Stewart WIS the widow of A1sek
Stewart, and but two vears before had
lived comfortably and happily IN a ea@p
on the American River. Aleck was a
brawny miner, but the pFemanHre exPSe-
sion OF blast IN an Underground ttnmGeA
had blotrod out his Life In an instant,
kaving his family without a ProseeaeS
aud in stTaitened circurgstanees. BaHs
daily wages had been their sole Support
and bow that he was gone, what could
they do2
With her little family lfrs Stewart
had emigrated TO the caEap In which vs
find them. and there she earned a pre,ra-
rious livelihood by washing clothes for
the miners. Hers was hard lot, bl1t the
brave little woman toiled On. eheereG hv
the thought that her daily Iakors stood
between her dlrling Little. ones and the
gauBt wolf Of starvation. Thar clothes
were patched aud shabby, ald thsar food
plain and sonnet ms se.Insy, vet tissg vsere
never redue ed te absolute s1lfenfng
Jack Dawson. . strong, honest mfrer,
was passing she cabin this Christmas
Eve, uhen the voice Of the Gstfe glrl
within attracted his attention Jack pos
sesscd an inordinslfc lcve for children.
and although bis nlaBly spiris would b.
no; the snetklng practice of eaves-SsreP-
ping, be could not resist the temp tasi9E
I TO steal up to the window luss moment
TO listen 30 the sweet .prattling V0iee
The first words he cssUght wercs -s8efore
papa died. we always had Christmas.
didn't we. mamm3F
AYES. Totty darling. bat papa earned
money enough to afIord to rlake his i1r-
tie pets happy al leas- once a yeaE- Eaa
EtIist remember, Totty, that we are very
poor. and although MARINA z0-As Vgzy
bard, she can SCARCELY earn enc1zh 10
supply us with fcod and cl9thes
Little bright faced BeDnT raised his
csrlJ head from bis soft rest in the warrR
bearskin. and cheerfully saff- ssTesr
wait til dit to be a man. -naa1a, an
~ ffou . hANe ~ WIZ. * Ae-lA ~ -t1
a drcat bid miner, Ike papa WIS. an dit
'oo ever so much money, bat went do
neas EN- hateful blastia' iugs an dis
titled ike papa did =
Jack Dawson still fingered upon the
outside. He could not leave. alsh8lgh
he felt ashamed Of himself for listenfrr.
.sWhv. bless my Iittfe man. reti1rusdl
the mother. what brave future he a1s
planned I do hope and Fray. darlssS.
that you will grow up stroug ard a good
man, and one who will Be blessirgau'i
a comfort 10 mamma when she gets GA r
ave hung up our stockings Lass
Christmas, didnt We, mammxf ques-
toned the little girl
.sYes, Totty, but ve were paer thea.